Millionaires are not always born. Most are made. Meet Arthur Blank, the former CEO of Home Depot and millionaire – many times over!

The Home Depot started with two words on an ordinary day in the spring of 1978: “You’re fired!” Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus were unceremoniously fired from their positions at Handy Dan, a chain of home improvement stores, notwithstanding the fact that the two had built up Handy Dan to over $155 million in sales. “Bernie and I picked ourselves up, we mapped out Home Depot on a napkin in our favorite coffee shop. We had almost no capital,” recalls Arthur.

Arthur Blank served as CEO of The Home Depot for 23 years and is now owner of the Atlanta Falcons. Arthur, along with his family, oversees the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, which has donated over a $100 million dollars to various charities.

…(A)ccording to an official translation published by the Organization of American States, the Mexican constitution includes the following restrictions:

* Pursuant to Article 33, “Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country.” This ban applies, among other things, to participation in demonstrations and the expression of opinions in public about domestic politics like those much in evidence in Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere in recent days.

* Equal employment rights are denied to immigrants, even legal ones. Article 32: “Mexicans shall have priority over foreigners under equality of circumstances for all classes of concessions and for all employment, positions, or commissions of the Government in which the status of citizenship is not indispensable.”

* Jobs for which Mexican citizenship is considered “indispensable” include, pursuant to Article 32, bans on foreigners, immigrants, and even naturalized citizens of Mexico serving as military officers, Mexican-flagged ship and airline crew, and chiefs of seaports and airports.

* Article 55 denies immigrants the right to become federal lawmakers. A Mexican congressman or senator must be “a Mexican citizen by birth.” Article 91 further stipulates that immigrants may never aspire to become cabinet officers as they are required to be Mexican by birth. Article 95 says the same about Supreme Court justices.

In accordance with Article 130, immigrants – even legal ones – may not become members of the clergy, either.

* Foreigners, to say nothing of illegal immigrants, are denied fundamental property rights. For example, Article 27 states, “Only Mexicans by birth or naturalization and Mexican companies have the right to acquire ownership of lands, waters, and their appurtenances, or to obtain concessions for the exploitation of mines or of waters.”

* Article 11 guarantees federal protection against “undesirable aliens resident in the country.” What is more, private individuals are authorized to make citizen’s arrests. Article 16 states, “In cases of flagrante delicto, any person may arrest the offender and his accomplices, turning them over without delay to the nearest authorities.” In other words, Mexico grants its citizens the right to arrest illegal aliens and hand them over to police for prosecution. Imagine the Minutemen exercising such a right!

* The Mexican constitution states that foreigners – not just illegal immigrants – may be expelled for any reason and without due process. According to Article 33, “the Federal Executive shall have the exclusive power to compel any foreigner whose remaining he may deem inexpedient to abandon the national territory immediately and without the necessity of previous legal action.” — The Center For Security Policy

If you won’t allow people to immigrate illegaly into your country, then why should we?

COLUMBUS – Former U.S. House Speaker and conservative movement hero Newt Gingrich today announced his support for Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell.

“Ken Blackwell is a man, cast in the mold of President Ronald Reagan, with powerful ideas that will empower individuals and spur job creation in the Buckeye State,” said Gingrich. “His new ideas, new strategies and new solutions will set Ohio back on the right path.”

“I am honored to have the support of a true hero in the conservative movement,” said Blackwell. “The overwhelming support of conservative leaders is a testament to my adherence to the core principles that have made the Republican Party the nation’s party of ideas and progress.”

Blackwell enjoys double-digit leads over his opponent among Republican primary voters in five polls released within the last 30 days.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Cynthia McKinney admits that she broke government rules by spending money to fly a celebrity to Atlanta.

Channel 2 Action News has uncovered documents showing McKinney, D-Ga., spent about $1,000 of taxpayer’s money to fly singer Isaac Hayes to Georgia to help dedicate a new office in Atlanta.

The money came from a fund members of Congress are supposed to use for office supplies.

Using the money to pay for Hayes’ airline ticket and hotel expenses is a violation of strict congressional rules. Those rules state that taxpayer money can only be used for “travel by Members, Members’ employees and vendors. A vendor is an employee of a private company that provides maintenance and support for equipment and software…”

The $34 billion system has more than $16 billion in five commingled funds and $9 million in 14 separately managed accounts that may include securities invested in companies engaged in business with the Sudanese government, according to a news release from the lieutenant governor’s office. Mr. Steele urged the system to support a bill sponsored by state Delegate Salima Siler Marriott that would require that the system’s investment managers not invest in companies with ties to Sudan. The bill was introduced last year and will be the subject of a hearing on Wednesday.

System spokeswoman Anne Budowski said its investment board is considering the issue and may address divestiture at its next meeting April 14, after the General Assembly has adjourned and action on the bill has been resolved.

How can anyone do business with these murdering pigs in good conscience? If you know the answer, tell me!

Joshua Bolten-born August 16, 1955 to Seymour and Analouise of Washington DC, is one of the most powerful men in Washington. Nicknamed “Yosh” by President Bush, loves to bowl and is known to have a great sense of humor.

Bolten is a graduate of St. Albans Prep School, Princeton University and Stanford Law School. He was a former London-based Investment Banker before becoming Deputy White House Chief of Staff and is presently Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Considered to be very competent with his job, Nicolas Calio, former Senior Aide to Both Presidents Bush, says, “he’s one of the most capable people in government but he likes to throw bowling parties. He is famous inside [the White House] for holding the Bolten Pin Tournament.”

Before joining the current Bush administration, he served three years as General Counsel to the US Trade Representative and one year as White House lobbyist for the elder Bush.

Between 1994 to 1999, Bolten was employed as Executive Director, Legal & Government Affairs for Goldman Sachs International in London. A true public servant, Bolten left this very lucrative position to lead Bush’s policy team for the 2000 campaign. He accepted this opportunity because he likes to wrestle with the difficult policy questions and with his extremely organized manner is able to tackle big enterprises. There is no bigger endeavor than the US Government.

He’s well liked by his co-workers at the White House. Andrew Card, the outgoing Chief of Staff, says, “He’s really smart, He’s very humble and he has a great sense of humor. Karl Rove adds, “he’s soft-spoken but very clear thinking.” He’s a wonderful person. He’s professionally and personally one of the best people I’ve ever worked with.”

After serving two years as Policy Director of George W. Bush’s campaign before joining the administration, Bolten has become Bush’s go to guy on some of the White House’s toughest roles. As Deputy Chief of Staff, he was the referee between cabinet officers and officials on policy issues. As OMB Director, he’s had the thankless job of enforcing the President’s tough fiscal decisions. Rove said, “that is the most thankless job in the world.” And yet, most who deal with Bolten feel genuine heard, even though often unsatisfied.

A self-professed workaholic, Bolten works long hours from 7:30am to 10:30pm and rarely gets dispirited. “I almost never have that feeling that I don’t want to come back anytime soon,” he says. And what is his source of enthusiasm? His has a true affection for President Bush. He considers the President to be a “terrific leader” and a great man.

During the 9/11 tumult at the White House, he chaired the Ad Hoc Domestic Consequences Principals Group. This group was originally convened to take non-essential duties from Dr. Condolezza Rice who was overwhelmed by Anti-terrorism duties. The group consisted of the Secretary of Treasury, Transportation, Health and Energy – and other senior officials. Meeting daily under Bolten’s direction, it reviewed the USA Patriot Act, which strengthened the government’s law enforcement powers. The Ad Hoc group also looked for ways to further insure the protection of Americans in this country. This entity is now known as the Department of Homeland Security.

Bolten may be a true gentleman, but he isn’t strait-laced. He is a big music fan, plays the guitar, recites poetry and has a wall collection of Bush’s hands. The pictures highlight Bush’s hands during key moments of his Presidency. You may say that Bolten brings an eclectic mix of intellect and humor to his latest endeavor, Chief of Staff. “There is great satisfaction any time you do a job well,” he said, “but if you do a job well for the public, the satisfaction is magnified geometrically.”

And a little good humor brought into the White House won’t be bad either.

I grew up in a time when two-parent families were still the norm, in both black and white America. Then, as an adult, I saw divorce become more commonplace, then almost a rite of passage. Today it would appear that many — particularly in the black community — have dispensed with marriage altogether.

But as a black woman, I have witnessed the outrage of girlfriends when the ex failed to show up for his weekend with the kids, and I’ve seen the disappointment of children who missed having a dad around. Having enjoyed a close relationship with my own father, I made a conscious decision that I wanted a husband, not a live-in boyfriend and not a “baby’s daddy,” when it came my time to mate and marry.

My time never came.

For years, I wondered why not. And then some 12-year-olds enlightened me.

“Marriage is for white people.”

That’s what one of my students told me some years back when I taught a career exploration class for sixth-graders at an elementary school in Southeast Washington. I was pleasantly surprised when the boys in the class stated that being a good father was a very important goal to them, more meaningful than making money or having a fancy title.

“That’s wonderful!” I told my class. “I think I’ll invite some couples in to talk about being married and rearing children.”

“Oh, no,” objected one student. “We’re not interested in the part about marriage. Only about how to be good fathers.”

And that’s when the other boy chimed in, speaking as if the words left a nasty taste in his mouth: “Marriage is for white people.”

He’s right. At least statistically. The marriage rate for African Americans has been dropping since the 1960s, and today, we have the lowest marriage rate of any racial group in the United States. In 2001, according to the U.S. Census, 43.3 percent of black men and 41.9 percent of black women in America had never been married, in contrast to 27.4 percent and 20.7 percent respectively for whites. African American women are the least likely in our society to marry. In the period between 1970 and 2001, the overall marriage rate in the United States declined by 17 percent; but for blacks, it fell by 34 percent. Such statistics have caused Howard University relationship therapist Audrey Chapman to point out that African Americans are the most uncoupled people in the country.

How have we gotten here? What has shifted in African American customs, in our community, in our consciousness, that has made marriage seem unnecessary or unattainable?

Marriage is just a business alliance? What kind of women believe this kind of stuff? yuck!

Extra body armor — the lack of which caused a political storm in the United States — has flooded in to Iraq, but many Marines here promptly stuck it in lockers or under bunks. Too heavy and cumbersome, many say.

Marines already carry loads as heavy as 70 pounds when they patrol the dangerous streets in towns and villages in restive Anbar province. The new armor plates, while only about five pounds per set, are not worth carrying for the additional safety they are said to provide, some say.

“We have to climb over walls and go through windows,” said Sgt. Justin Shank of Greencastle, Pa. “I understand the more armor, the safer you are. But it makes you slower. People don’t understand that this is combat and people are going to die.”

“Before you know it, they’re going to get us injured because we’re hauling too much weight and don’t have enough mobility to maneuver in a fight from house to house,” said Bain, who is assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment. “I think we’re starting to go overboard on the armor.”

Once again our all-knowing politicians get in the way of our solidiers pursuit of victory. Anybody remember Vietnam?